Basic Page #14

Kendall nods. Crying a little.

HARDY:

Little advice, Levi, next time you

frame a guy, pick someone who can't

defend themselves.

Kendall says nothing.

OSBORNE:

What happened with Nunez?

KENDALL:

He came after us. And I told Dunbar

he had to kill him...

EXT. CLEARING -- EARLIER THAT MORNING

The helicopter, hovering overhead. Dunbar, carrying Kendall,

spinning his rifle to face Nunez, sixty yards away. Dunbar

hesitates before firing, not wanting to...

KENDALL:

Do it!

Dunbar's rifle ERUPTS...

INT. KENDALL'S HOSPITAL ROOM -- PRESENT DAY

KENDALL:

And he did.

77.

Kendall finishes, wiping his face. Osborne turns to Hardy.

OSBORNE:

That's how you do good cop/bad cop.

Hardy smiles and gets up. Walking slowly to Kendall's bed.

HARDY:

Childs did it, huh?

Kendall nods, still a little teary.

HARDY:

First Pike, then Mueller, now Childs?

When are we getting to the others?

When are we gonna hear about Nunez?

FLASHCUT TO - NUNEZ, in the creek bed, SHOOTING WEST.

HARDY:

Or Dunbar?

FLASHCUT TO - Now DUNBAR, SHOOTING WEST.

HARDY:

Or you, Levi? When is it finally

going to come out that you were the

one who killed him?

FLASHCUT TO - KENDALL, SHOOTING WEST.

KENDALL:

I didn't-

HARDY:

But you can't prove it! You can't

prove anything until we find the

bodies!

Kendall, crying harder now, beginning to shake.

HARDY:

You lied to us, Levi, you're going

to the gas chamber unless you tell

us where to find them!

KENDALL:

I don't know-

HARDY:

Where are they!

KENDALL:

Maybe-

HARDY:

MAYBE WHAT:

78.

KENDALL:

MAYBE HE-

And then. His mouth SLAMS SHUT. Teeth cracking together

over and over again like a metronome on speed, and his body

JERKS HORRIBLY, going horizontal, SHAKING VIOLENTLY!

Osborne, leaping to her feet.

OSBORNE:

Get something between his teeth!

Hardy grabs a fork from the bedside table and tries to shove

it into Kendall's chattering mouth. His teeth, CLAMPING

DOWN on the metal and Hardy's hand, drawing blood.

HARDY:

Sh*t!

The Nurse bursts into the room.

NURSE:

What is-

OSBORNE:

He's an epileptic!

The Nurse runs to the bed, pushing Hardy aside. As more

MEDICAL PERSONNEL runs into the room, they usher Hardy and

Osborne to the door.

DOCTOR:

You're going to have to wait outside-

OSBORNE:

He's a witness!

DOCTOR:

It doesn't matter, outside-

KENDALL:

F-F-F-F-F-F-Fuh-

Osborne tries to move to him, but the Doctor blocks her path.

OSBORNE:

He's trying to say something-

DOCTOR:

Out, NOW.

KENDALL:

Fuh-Fuh-Fuh-Fuh-Fuh-

Osborne knocks the Doctor down and runs to Kendall's side.

79.

DOCTOR:

SECURITY!

Kendall looks up, focusing on Osborne, a slight moment of

clarity in his eyes.

KENDALL:

Fuh-F***ing Pike.

And relapses into ANOTHER FIT as SECURITY GUARDS drag Hardy

and Osborne from the room.

INT. BASE HOSPITAL -- WAITING ROOM -- DAY

Later. Hardy and Osborne sit in silence, eyes downcast.

Waiting. Hardy pulls his last cigarette from the pack, lights

it, crumples the pack and tosses it into a garbage can.

HARDY:

I pushed him too hard.

OSBORNE:

You couldn't have known-

HARDY:

Yeah, I could've. Should've.

OSBORNE:

You wanted to get the truth.

HARDY:

No, I didn't. I wanted to humiliate

him. For what he did to Dunbar.

For f***ing over the little guy.

OSBORNE:

You mean the falsely accused?

Hardy looks up at her and nods.

OSBORNE:

You wanted to break him.

HARDY:

Yeah.

OSBORNE:

So did I.

She looks back to the floor. Hardy takes a drag from the

cigarette, and then tosses that away too.

The door opens and Styles walks into the room. Somber.

STYLES:

It’s over. Time of death was 4:42.

(MORE)

80.

STYLES (CONT'D)

JAG's been notified and I called the

Senator myself. My report will

reflect that his medical condition

made this unavoidable... you two had

no culpability in the matter.

HARDY:

That's horseshit and you know it.

STYLES:

Maybe. But it's my fault and I'll

carry it.

He sighs and takes a seat next to them.

STYLES:

We found the cabin. Demolished,

like they said. No bodies. Hurricane

like that coulda scooped 'em up,

dropped them down two counties over.

We'll find them.

Hardy says nothing.

STYLES:

You think you could explain all this

to me?

HARDY:

I wouldn't know where to start.

(pause)

I guess it was about one man framing

another. He thought if the other

guy got blamed, people would over

look his own wrong doings.

Styles nods, understanding.

OSBORNE:

What happens to Dunbar now?

STYLES:

Gets on his plane in ten minutes,

which means you two are done.

You'll understand if I don't walk

you out.

Hardy gets up to go and then stops. Realizing something.

HARDY:

They're taking your command, aren't

they?

STYLES:

The Senator...

He points to Kendall's hospital room.

81.

HARDY:

I'm sorry, Bill.

STYLES:

Don't be. I'm not cut out to deal

with the West's of the world.

HARDY:

You're a good soldier, Bill.

STYLES:

I thought you said that wasn't a

compliment.

Hardy smiles.

HARDY:

This time it is.

EXT. FORT MCKINLEY -- PARADE GROUNDS -- EVENING

The sun, beginning to dip in the sky, as Hardy and Osborne

exit the hospital.

OSBORNE:

Your car's in the motor pool. I'll

walk you over.

They walk in silence, for a bit.

OSBORNE:

So what now?

HARDY:

Now I go home, get drunk, and try

and forget this ever happened.

OSBORNE:

Think it'll work?

HARDY:

Nah.

They pass a GROUP OF CADETS doing drills. Hardy, watching

them. Almost looking wistful.

OSBORNE:

You know, you never told me why you

left the army.

HARDY:

It dawned on me one day that we were

supposed to be a nation founded on

the principle of questioning

authority... and all I did here was

follow orders. It didn't add up.

82.

HARDY [CONT'D)

Plus, I got kicked out.

OSBORNE:

For what?

HARDY:

That's gonna stay my secret.

INT. MOTOR POOL -- EVENING

Hardy and Osborne make their way towards Hardy's car.

OSBORNE:

We were close to something with

Kendall.

HARDY:

Maybe... Maybe we were nowhere near.

Sometimes mysteries stay mysteries.

(pause)

I haven't by any chance grown on

you, have I?

OSBORNE:

No.

HARDY:

Good, just making sure.

Osborne turns to the DUTY SERGEANT.

OSBORNE:

We're going need a vehicle release.

The Sergeant nods, walking up with a clipboard.

SERGEANT:

Sign here and here.

(recognizing them)

Hey, ain't you the folks workin' on

that whole hulabaloo from last night?

OSBORNE:

Yeah.

SERGEANT:

Terrible tragedy. One of those

Section Eight boys worked in here.

Pike. Heard he got out okay.

Hardy signs the clipboard and hands it back.

HARDY:

Hate to be the bearer of bad news,

Sergeant, but he didn't make it.

83.

The Sergeant scratches his head.

SERGEANT:

Funny. I swear I saw them bring him

and the smaller guy in this morning.

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